Pastors Notes for “From Death to Life: Living in Resurrection Reality” (John 20:1-18)

The resurrection of Jesus Christ wasn’t merely a historical event that is commemorated through religious ritual. it was act that was meant to bring transformative power to our lives. its  one thing to be told about the resurrection and study it. its a whole other thing when it changes your life. Even those who visited Jesus tomb were not prepared for what they would experience.

John 20:11-18 Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. 12 She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her.
“Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”
14 She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him.

15 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”
She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”  16 “Mary!” Jesus said.  She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).  17 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”
18 Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.

What did the resurrection of Jesus give us?

1 . The hope of eternal life.

it answered the question. is there anything after this? is there a heaven? Can we know where we are heading? the answer is yes, yes and yes!

but The power of the resurrection is more than just a delayed promise. that takes effect after we are done with this life on earth, It is a power that is available to every follower of Jesus Christ right now. This is the mystery that Paul speaks of in his writings but Christians have such a difficult times grasping.

Romans 8:10–11 (NLT) 
10 And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. 11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

Don’t gloss over the verse. It goes by so fast that we assume he is talking about when this body dies. and we receive new bodies. that’s not what Paul is saying.

he will give life to your mortal bodies meaning this body that i am in right now. 

So there is this power within us and its available to us but it is not automatic. We have to tap into the power of the spirit if we want to benefit from spirit filled life.

so many go through this life not living any different than their neighbors because they have not learned to tap into the very resource that God has given to help us in this life.

Jesus describe the spirit as rivers of living water. but so many Christians stand beside the river thirsty because they are not willing to humble themselves and put down the distractions of this life to reach down drink from the waters of life, the goodness of the Holy Spirit. 

many stand at a distance and wonder why that brother or sister is so full of joy or peace or that they always seem to have a word from the Lord. Well its not automatic and its not by accident. it’s not just who they are. What you see in public has been quietly cultivated in private over many years. It involves purposeful engagement. here are some of the basics of what Christians who experience this growth do.

1. Create a sacred space to have communion with God

• Quiet time is a non-negotiable to enter in to God’s presence and seek him.
• this time is necessary to bring self awareness
• Awareness and Opposition to Worldly Influences
  In today’s digitally saturated world, the influence of worldly values is more pervasive than ever. From the moment we check our phones in the morning to the media we engage with at night, we are bombarded with messages vying for our attention and loyalty. Social media, advertising, entertainment, and even workplace cultures frequently endorse values that conflict with the principles of God’s kingdom. The first key to resisting these influences is acknowledging just how deeply they are woven into our everyday lives.
• the only way to do that is to take a break from all the constant input from phones, media ect.
• What makes these worldly influences so dangerous? Their subtlety. Like carbon monoxide, worldly values often infiltrate our thinking without triggering any alarm.
• The sacred space is a time and place that the believer uses to allow the holy spirit access to shape our patterns of thinking.

2. Practice Daily Disciplines to access the Spirit’s power in your life

• Prayer- involves silence as well. time to listen to God.
• Meditation- is about hearing what God is saying to you through the scriptures. we often call this devotions. or life application. your focusing in on one passage and asking God to reveal how this might apply to you.
• Study- is about researching to grasp the meaning of God’s Word and how it applies to Everyone.

3 . Seek spiritual victory in everyday choices

• When we think of having victory our minds jump to great miracles like the parting of the red sea or someone being miraculously healed or delivered instantly from some addiction. and looking for the big and profound we might miss the seemly small ordinary choices that we make everyday that are actual spiritual victories.
• Believe it or not you can’t crucify the flesh with the flesh. will power isn’t going to cut it. you need the spirits help. this is not about how gifted or personal strong we are. progress forward is based on how much we lean on Jesus and seek him.

Romans 8:12-14
12 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

choosing forgiveness when someone has wounded you with their words or actions, responding with patience and gentleness instead of anger when someone wants and argument or they do something that triggers you. choosing to trust God instead of worry about a situation. even the seemingly small choices of walking past the dessert table rather than indulging. Remember we belong to the Lord not just to ourselves anymore.

maybe it doesn’t seem like a big deal but each of these is a small victory and they add up and eventually will begin to show through in your character. and others will begin to notice.

4. What can you expect to happen?

• Your perceptions of life will broaden. Rather than being focused on how everything affects you. You’ll find that you’re more interested in what God is doing.
• Peace, joy and gratitude replace anxiety fear and anger

5 . Your greatest witness to your neighbors is not the amount of Biblical knowledge you’ve accumulated but how its changed your values, attitudes and behaviors.

people are looking for something that is real and tangible. nothing is more real than someone who has been transformed by the power of Christ.